hello. i'm new to this forum, but i'm not new to forums in general.

on tuesday, i bought an 88 E-350 ambulance with a 7.3 diesel with 57k miles on it. this is my first diesel, so i'm a bit unfamiliar with it yet. previous owner said he calculated 10mpg, highway and city. i thought it'd be closer to 15, but what do i know?

i came up with a list of problems that i know of. i hope i can get some help.

first of all, it's really hard to start in the cold. i know that's common for diesels and i *should* have it plugged in (it's about 30 degrees and i'm in minnesota... and it's currently out of reach to plug in without getting to know my neighbors). my concern is based on my research of glow plugs. i read some posts (not here) where it should take less than 5 seconds for the "wait to start" light to shut off after turning the key. mine takes probably 10-15 seconds right now (without being plugged in). i'm assuming that light is really the glow plugs starting up. i read on how to check them, but i'm actually unfamiliar with the use of an ohmemeter (spelling?). plus it's cold and i dont really want to freeze doing that. and i have to take off the doghouse... which has a cb radio attached to it, and the previous owner told me it's a bitch to move out of the way.
so basically, am i right to assume the glow plugs may be an issue? i thought 30 degrees would be warm enough.

it leaks a little oil and burns a little oil. not so much to be concerned with now, but i want to address it. i know JB makes an oil conditioner that i'm probably going to try. i really dont know how else to address the issue besides replacing gaskets. i dont know anything about oil burning.

a/c is out. i'm assuming this isnt the new a/c system which any idiot can recharge. not a big issue because i like windows, but i like hearing my music, too. plus, the back end has its own control and it doesnt have windows you can open, so it'll probably be bitch hot in the summer.

turn signal broken. signal works, but the actual arm is broken. it doesnt "stick" into the left signal position, you have to hold it down to make it work. it sticks into the right signal position, but not the left. i've never had to deal with this kind of problem before, so i dont know how to address it. based on research i did, it sounds like the actuator is broken and you can only get that part from a you-pull-your-own-part junkyard or a dealer. would i have to remove the steering wheel to access this to fix it? if so, i dont want to bother.

finally, speaking of the steering column, the light that indicates the transmission gears is out. i dont want to have to pull the wheel to fix this, either, but i would like it fixed. hopefully these last two issues can be fixed without doing that. i havent looked at it yet, so i dont know anything until morning when i probably will.

oh, and the air and fuel filters probably need replacing, too. where do i find these? ...or would you best recommend that i get the shop to do it when changing the oil in a couple months?


well, that's it for now. i can take/post pictures if need be for anyone.

thanks in advance.

oh, and i'm scott, but you can call me pyrodork, too.